Not applicable
North America is fortunate to have the world""s only Bluebirds (Sialia-Sialis not to be confused with any other birds that happen to be blue). Three species of bluebirds belong to this member of the Thrush familyxe2x80x94Eastern, Mountain, and Western Bluebirds.
In 1978, it became recognized that all three (3) bluebird populations were in severe decline. Paramount reasons for this decline are human encroachment on nesting habitat and the impact of human importation of two (2) species of non-native birdsxe2x80x94the House Sparrow (formerly known as the English Sparrow) and the European Starling. With that recognition, a national effort was launched to save the bluebird from otherwise extinction. This effort included the formation of the North American Bluebird Society (NABS).
The effort focused primarily on establishing proper human-made nest boxes for bluebirds and controlling the proliferation of the imported species. That effort has widely grown across the United States and Canada. Although many of the nest boxes are offered on xe2x80x9ctrailsxe2x80x9d (nest boxes appropriately spaced that are offered in the 10s or even 100s covering literally miles of distance), bird lovers also offer bluebird nest boxes in their own yards.
A common outgrowth of bluebirds nesting in one""s back yard is the desire to offer food. Bluebirds are primarily insectivorous. Conventional seed feeders are inappropriate resources for offering live food to bluebirds. The most common method of offering live food (e.g. mealworms) is on home-made platform feeders or by one of the commercially produced mealworm feeders.
Applicant is aware of the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,259,927; 4,515,108; 4,640,226; 5,002,017; 5,012,763; 5,042,425; 5,215,039; 5,269,258; 5,309,865; 5,413,069; and, 5,722,344.
Use of a platform style feeder results in the live food (e.g. mealworms) being subject to rain and snow, freezing temperatures, being blown off by wind, baking in the heat, or being eaten by undesirable non-target birds.
Use of the feeders that are currently commercially available may resolve wind, rain, snow and non-target bird issues. However, no currently available feeder provides any mechanism targeted at keeping the live food from freezing or baking. Additionally, the relatively small size of these feeders has been observed as seeming to make bluebirds feel trapped when inside them. Consequently, owners often leave these feeders open defeating the weather protection the feeders could offer.
The nutritional potential of live food is highest while the food remains alive until it is eaten. Additionally, often, unless actually at the point of near-starvation, bluebirds may ignore frozen (dead) mealworms and eat comparatively nutritionally-poor berries. In winter""s ravages the nutrition level of the food is a paramount concern for the bluebirds since they are typically one of the earliest bird to nestxe2x80x94often beginning while cold weather prevails. Additionally, since bluebirders often buy mealworms (v. raise them) at a price that equates to approximately $100/lb., frozen worms that are uneaten are a significant financial loss.
Keeping live food warm and dry, ergo alive, in cold climates is a continuous concern for those who elect to offer this food to bluebirds. Thus far, the food is either metered out continuously over the course of the day, or end up frozen as the bluebird landlord places a full day""s supply into the feeder in the morning, of a sub-freezing day, before leaving for work or school.
Continuous supplying of the feeder is extremely inconvenient, even if the bluebird landlord is home all day every day to do so. With the alternative, since bluebirds do not eat the full day""s supply at one xe2x80x9csittingxe2x80x9d, placing such supply all at once results in the food freezing as the temperatures inside the feeder closely parallel ambient temperatures.
Similar efforts to keep fresh live worms available in the summer are also problematic. Dead, dehydrated mealworms are ignored by bluebirds at a time when the supplemental food source could be critical when feeding nestlings. The option to cool the worms resolves the issue of baked worms.
The heated/cooled live-food bird feeder provides heated space for live food for birds to be placed in the feeder without them freezing in sub-freezing ambient temperatures or dehydrating in hot ambient temperatures.
To keep the food warm, the bowl containing the live food is floated in a separate bowl of water. The water is warmed by a birdbath, or birdbath-type of, heater. The water bowl sits, vanity-sink style, down into an insulated base to help the economy and efficiency of using electricity.
To keep the food cool, the water bowl, filled with water, may be placed into the freezer. After the water is frozen the ice block may be popped out and stored in a plastic bag in the freezer while additional feeder ice blocks are being similarly made. Additionally, summer ventilation holes in the feeder are to be opened. Lastly, the window panels in the feeder may be opened or replaced with screen panels. Optionally, instead of actually freezing bowls of water, the bottom bowl may be lined with ice cubes or hold a frozen re-useable xe2x80x9cice-packxe2x80x9d such as is used in camping or chemically activated cooling packs. Alternatively, a small refrigerator compressor with the evaporator coil placed in the water between the two bowls or mounted directly on the bottom of the feed bowl, could be used keep the water and live bird feed cold.
To minimize non-target birds accessing the live food, entrance holes are sized to bluebirds. Therefore, only bluebird size and smaller birds can enter. Entrance by such other birds is a possibility, but one that also exists with the currently available commercially produced feeders. Birds larger than bluebird-size cannot enter the feeder. (Note: the feeder entrance holes are sized {fraction (1/16)}xe2x80x3 larger than the standard nest box entrance hole sizes to minimize feather wear from repeated entry into and exit from the feeder.)
To eliminate wind, rain or snow problems, overall, the feeder is fully enclosed and under roof. Plastic (e.g. Plexiglas) panels in all four sides serve as xe2x80x98windowsxe2x80x99.
The specific construction, materials, shape, method of heating/cooling, and energy resource powering the heater of the diagramed feeder are not critical to its function. Alternative construction, materials, shape, method of heating/cooling, and energy resources could be used.
The feeder may be made of wood or other construction materials, including, but not limited to, sheet-PVC or resin plastic or metal. The present application describes a feeder that is square in shape. However, other shapes could be used, for example, rectangular, round hexagonal, octagonal. The feeder disclosed relies on an electrically powered birdbath heater. Other heat and refrigeration sources could be used.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a heated/cooled live-food bird feeder that provides heated and cooled space for live food for birds to be placed in the feeder, without the live food freezing in sub-freezing ambient temperatures or dehydrating in hot ambient temperatures.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a removable front panel to provide access to clean or place food on the inside of the feeder.
It is another object of the invention to provide a fully enclosed, but ventilatable enclosure.
It is another object of the invention to provide additional protection from weather derived from the overhanging roof.
It is another object of the invention to provide an insulated cavity in the feeder base.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a heated/cooled live-food bird feeder that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and simple and efficient to use.
With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.